HARPSDEN took a major step towards winning the Berkshire, Mid Bucks and Chilterns League Championship after edging out nearest rivals Holmer Green by 14 runs in their top-of-the-table clash, writes Richard Ashton.

The visitors were asked to bat and looked in major trouble after being bowled out for 136, Prasantha Weerakoon (4-19), Rommel Foster (2-21), Dan Little (2-24) and Kashif Iqbal (2-25) the destroyers-in-chief for Holmer Green.

However, their hopes of closing the gap at the top were dashed thanks to a superb bowling effort from Harpsden, with Jack Brown (4-25) and Blake Hogan-Keogh (3-32) doing the damage to leave Holmer Green all out for 122.

The result leaves Harpsden 63 points clear at the top of the table with seven matches remaining.

Third-placed Checkendon continued their excellent debut season in the division with a hard-fought 27-run success at home to basement side Penn & Tylers Green.

Manpreet Singh benefitted from being dropped early in his innings to blast 118 from 92 balls, but with Penn skipper John Cockroft (5-39) and Gavin Waite (2-39) among the wickets, Checks were restricted to 218-9 before declaring after 45 overs.

Simon Tattersall (48) and Waite (44) kept the visitors in the game, but with Singh (3-18), Vikas Chib (3-32) and Raj Tiwari (2-33) all among the wickets, they were eventually dismissed for 191.

Braywood won a thrilling encounter at home to Ballinger Waggoners by one wicket.

Attiq Uddin (3-39), Kamran Hafeez (229) and Mohammed Waheed (2-42) all bowled well as the away side were kept to 156-8 in their 46 overs, only for Nick Adams (4-47) and Tom Petrie (3-39) to haul them back into the game.

However, opening batsman Syed Kazmi (96no) played a wonderful innings to steer his side to 159-9 in 36.1 overs.

Ruislip Victoria dropped into the relegation zone after losing by six wickets at Ley Hill.

Vijay Mulaparthi top scored with 57 as the Victorians reached 150, their innings torpedoed by Craig Ottaway (5-40) – including his 700th for the club – and Lewis Thompson (2-45).

Ly Hill lost an early wicket, but with Phil Bush making 52, they eased to their target in 33.1 overs.

The game between Peppard Stoke Row and West Reading was abandoned without a ball being bowled.